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Show COMMISSIONEB OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 193 I culatiou, deeming that from them you will obtain the most full and complete account of the existing state of Indian affiirs in this quarter. I regret to inform the department of the death of Sub-agent Bolen ; the particulars of his death are contained in a letter from General Pal-mer to myself, a copy of which is herewith enclosed. Mr. Bolen was a most excellent and efficient agent. The Indian service has lost an officer not easily to be replaced. He has fallen fearlessly in the dis-charge of his duty, and it is to be hoped will be amply avenged. While in camp in the Spokane country, awaiting the return of Gov-ernor Stevens from the Blackfeet council, he was informed by Spokane Garry, the chief of the Spokanes, that the Yakimas had killed eight white men on their way to the Pend' Oreille mines, and that they intended to wage war against the whites; he determined immediately to proceed to the Yakima country and ascertain the truth of the re-ports. He accordingly proceeded to the Dalles, and on Tuesday, Sep-tember 18, left for the Catholic mission in the Yakima, since which nothing was heard from him till the news of his death was brought in by an Indian dispatched by Agent Olney of Oregon to ascertain his fate. As soon as information arrived of the hostility of the Indians, acting Governor Mason made a requisition on the military posts at Steila-coom and Vancouver for troops at once to be put in the field to quell the disturbance. Captain Malony, the commanding officer at Steila-coom, at once dispatched Lieutenant Slaughter with a force of 50 men. Major Rains, commanding at Fort Vancouver, sent orders to Major Haller, at the Dalles, who promptly left with a command of 130 men and a mountain howitzer for the scene of hostilities. Lieu-tenant Slaughter will cross the Cascade mountains by the Nah Chess pass, and unite with Major Haller. It is to be hoped that the force will prove sufficiently strong to inflict a severe punishment upon the Indians, and thus check the war at the outstart. Should such not be the case, it is much to be apprehended that they will be joined by a large portion of the Walla-Wallas, Pelouses, and Conguses, a11 of whom are turbulent. s The YaEmas and Clickatats, from all theinformation that can be obtained. have at mesent in the field about; six hundred warriors. I t is only by the most active and energetic measures that a pro-tracted Indian war will be prevented. The settlers in every direction are alarmed ; the whole country is in a state of extreme excitement. I shall dispatch an express tomorrow to Governor Stevens, to inform him of the state of affairs. I regret his absence, as his thorough kuow-ledge of the Indians, his great influence over them, and his untiring energy, would be of much service in the present crisis. I attribute the cause of the outbreaks amongst the Yakimas and Clickatats to the rumors that have been afloat, and obtained credence amongst the Indians, that Governor Stevens and his party had been massacred by the Blackfeet, and Najor Haller and his comma~d had been defeated by the Snakes, in his recent expedition against them. Believing that the whites were about to be overthrown in every direc-tion, and having for some time been disaffected towards them, they deemed that the proper moment had arrived to gratify their enmity. 13 |